FAQ

How It Works

Welcome to The Teachers Guild! Check out this video to learn how Collaborations work. You’ll also find answers to other common questions below.

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Collaborations

What is a Collaboration?

A Collaboration takes a problem and turns it into an opportunity by applying the design thinking process, a journey guided by optimism. Throughout a Collaboration, we can share wisdom, build off each others’ ideas, and come up with new solutions that make real change for our students and schools.

Who determines the Collaboration question?

The Guild team works closely with teachers and schools to hear their stories, questions, and challenges. Then, we craft a Project Goal that matches those needs with the issues that each Collaboration Host is tackling within their network.

How does the Collaboration work?

Each Collaboration lasts about 10 weeks and follows the design thinking process. During each phase, you can contribute as much as you want, or just follow along. At the end, everyone will vote for their favorite ideas. We are all invited to adapt those solutions for our schools and classrooms and post insights as inspiration for others.

Why 30 Collaborations in three years?

Because the time is now to tell the story of why teachers are our most creative and powerful innovators. Let’s do that by showing how many new and better ideas we can create together. Let’s create change in our classrooms, schools, and systems by experimenting from the ground up.

Teachers & Hosts

What do teachers do throughout the Collaboration?

Throughout the Collaboration you can design with a team or on your own. Learn from each others’ posts and get inspired by experimenting in your school. When we work together, ideas get better.

What do Hosts do throughout the Collaboration?

Each Collaboration is hosted by an organization dedicated to improving education. Throughout the Collaboration, they partner with teachers and schools to solve a tough educational challenge. Hosts help to set the Project Goal and invite their teachers into the Guild. Hosts are excited to go beyond school walls to bring teacher-designed solutions to life.

Solutions

How are Favorite Solutions selected?

Favorites are selected by both teachers and the Collaboration Host. During the Select phase, teachers can vote for Favorite Solutions based on potential to positively impact students and schools. Collaboration Hosts also select their favorites, and help to set specific selection criteria such as scalability and feasibility.

What does a good solution look like?

Good solutions are easily adaptable to many classrooms and schools. They are ideas that teachers care about. It’s easy to imagine implementing them. All ideas on The Guild remain free and open so anyone can use them.